11 Tips on How to Avoid Holiday Overeating
• Plan ahead!! Having a plan before you get to a holiday event can help you control what and how much you’re going to eat!!
• When eating out, make smart choices…no bread, order a salad (dressing on the side) or veggies as your side.
• When eating out, ask for a box when your food first arrives. Place half of your meal in the box to take home for later.
• Avoid drinking too many cocktails or glasses of wine. Alcohol and mixers contain a lot of empty calories, as do sodas and too many fruit juices.
• Drink a glass of water before you eat. Water takes up space and is calorie-free.
• Eat slowly and wait 20 minutes before you go back for seconds or dessert.
• Try small amounts of multiple foods rather than taking two or three servings of any one food.
• Make a list of all the good reasons you do not want to gain weight over the holidays or why you want to lose weight after the holidays. Read the list every day and remind yourself of it whenever you are tempted to overindulge.
• Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up at one party or cannot resist the homemade fudge someone brought to work. Tomorrow is a new day and you will have another opportunity to do better and feel good about making healthy choices.
• Bring a safety dish. When you bring a healthy dish to share, you’re helping out the hostess and yourself.
• Dress for awareness – Whether it’s a clingy dress, slim-fitting pants, a belt or a body shaper, constricting clothing can definitely prevent you from overdoing it.
